PIR increases age limit of "Rising Star" category from 25 to under 30

Winners eligible for prize donations up to $50,000 USD out of $180,000 USD total prize awards

RESTON, Va., April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Public Interest Registry (PIR), the nonprofit stewards of the .ORG domain, today opened the nomination period for its seventh annual .ORG Impact Awards, an annual celebration that recognizes outstanding mission-driven individuals and organizations from the global .ORG Community for their positive contributions to society.

Public Interest Registry's .ORG top-level domain has powered mission-driven organizations around the globe for 40 years. From individuals to large corporations, small community groups to multinational NGOs, .ORGs work to positively impact the communities they serve. Over the past six years, the .ORG Impact Awards have recognized 226 outstanding .ORGs from over 87 countries. Through the Awards, Public Interest Registry has awarded $685,000 USD for transformative work taking place around the world.

"We started the .ORG Impact Awards to honor and spotlight those within the .ORG Community that work tirelessly to create positive change," said Jon Nevett, CEO of Public Interest Registry. "When you apply to the .ORG Impact Awards, you're joining a global community of changemakers united in a shared commitment to making the world a better place. If you're a changemaker committed to mission-driven work or know someone who is, please submit a nomination to join our growing community."

Applications will be accepted from April 23 to June 4, 2025, and are open to any person or organization with a .ORG domain, free of charge. The entries will be evaluated by a judging panel of leaders in the Internet, nonprofit, and marketing sectors.

Categories for the 2025 awards include:

• Health and Healing
• Quality Education for All
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Environmental Stewardship
• Hunger and Poverty
• Community Building
• Rising Star

For the first time ever, PIR has increased the age limit for the "Rising Star" category from 25 to under 30, offering even more young changemakers making a difference in the world the chance to apply.

Organizations may apply for multiple categories of awards if more than one category is a good fit. The top five entries in each category will be named as finalists on August 12, 2025, and will be eligible to be named the 2025 .ORG of the Year.

All 35 finalists will be invited on a sponsored trip to Washington, D.C. with opportunities to meet with nonprofit leaders, culminating in the final award ceremony with a surprise celebrity host on October 7, 2025. Winners will be announced at the award ceremony, honoring their work to make the world a better place. Additional event details will be released in the coming months.

Each category winner will receive $10,000 USD in donation award funds, while the ultimate .ORG of the Year will be honored with a grand prize of $50,000 USD. Finalists across all categories will receive a $2,500 USD donation. These funds offer all recognized organizations the ability to drive their missions forward as they see fit. Receiving a prestigious .ORG Impact Award not only elevates an organization's profile but also fuels donations, funding, talent acquisition, partnership development, and audience reach.

To nominate an organization or individual for a .ORG Impact Award, visit www.orgimpactawards.org.

In 2024, over 1,700 applicants from over 87 countries submitted applications. The winner of the 2024 .ORG of the Year award was Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, a Philippines-based nonprofit organization which provides access to education for children in remote and poverty-stricken areas by providing boats to reach their schools.

"Education is a universal right, and addressing its accessibility is a shared global responsibility. Humanity will never progress if we look only after our own backyards. Accessible, quality education is key to breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty. I dedicate this award to thousands of Hope Paddlers, not just in the Philippines, but worldwide," said Dr. Anton Mari H. Lim, President, CEO and Co-founder of Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation of the 2024 win. "With hope, the impossible becomes possible."

Other 2024 winners include Kiva, a nonprofit working to expand financial access to underserved communities worldwide by offering crowdfunded microloans; The Center for Courageous Kids, a nonprofit providing life-changing overnight camp experiences for children with serious, chronic illnesses; Share Our Spare, a nonprofit organization supporting Chicago-area children by providing essential items such as diapers, clothing, and baby gear to families in need; Kids Operating Room, a Scottish charity that strives for a world where every child has access to safe surgery by building pediatric operating rooms, training local doctors, and improving access to essential medical care in low- and middle-income countries; Solidarités International, a French nonprofit providing emergency aid in disaster and conflict-affected areas, helping communities regain self-sufficiency and sustainable livelihoods; and Clinton Okechukwu from The R.E.T.I.N.A Initiative, a youth-led nonprofit organization which promotes primary eye care and works to combat preventable blindness in underserved African communities, was awarded the win in the "Rising Star" category.

About Public Interest Registry
Public Interest Registry (PIR) is a nonprofit that operates the .ORG top-level domain—one of the world's largest generic top-level domains with more than 11 million domain names registered worldwide. .ORG is open to everyone, providing a global platform for organizations, associations, clubs, businesses and individuals to bring their ideas to life. PIR has been a champion for a free and open Internet for more than two decades with a clear mission to be an exemplary domain name registry, provide a trusted digital identity and help educate those who dedicate themselves to improving our world. PIR was founded by the Internet Society (internetsociety.org) in 2002 and is based in Reston, Virginia, USA. Visit www.pir.org for more information.

Contact: Shane Tan, [email protected], (718) 883-0699